Rocking chair - an indispensable item to relax after a hard day. It will be an excellent complement to any interior, as well as a convenient and practical element of furniture. For those who have at least the minimum skills of a carpenter, to build a rocking chair will not be a difficult task. Therefore, this article will discuss how to make a rocking chair with your own hands.
Where to begin? First of all, you need to acquire the necessary tools and materials. Ready-made models that are sold in stores are usually made of cane, rattan or wood. There are also metal chairs with leather or fabric trim. As a raw material for self-production, you can use any tree, but in this case, conifers are best suited, since they are the most versatile and affordable options. Please note that the wood must be strong, well-dried, without crinkles and knots. You can make a rocking chair with fabric elements - this is up to you.
Making a chair with your own hands should begin with the sidewalls. To do this, take wood 3.5-4 cm thick. If you plan to make thicker parts, use a saber saw instead of an electric jigsaw. A rocking chair with your own hands will have a more elegant look if you handle the crossbars with a milling cutter. Before cutting material, carefully transfer all measurements to the workpiece in a 1: 1 ratio. The thickness of the slats that will fix the fabric should be at least 2 cm, and the diameter of the crossbars should be about 25-35 mm.
When cutting parts, the main task is the rational use of raw materials: both sidewalls must be placed so that the material is enough for the step, back and seat. Recommended sizes for a person of average dimensions:
- back - 52x65 cm.
- seat length - 48 cm
- width - 52 cm
Pre-treat the structural elements with a sandpaper or grinder, and apply varnish only after assembly.
The most comfortable rocking chair with your own hands will turn out if you make the front of the seat and the upper back half semicircular.
You can connect individual elements using two methods. The easiest option is to use an electric drill. Before drilling holes in the sidewalls that determine the backrest angle, select the most comfortable angle for yourself.
When choosing the length of the armrests, pay attention to the fact that they should protrude slightly forward.
A more complicated method is a spike connection with glue. The lateral parts of the rocking chair in this case fasten the side jumpers. To do this, holes of the right size are drilled in the sidewalls, crossbars are inserted into them and attached to the glue. After the glue has completely dried, its remnants must be removed.
Between the sidewalls are fixed rails. They can be fixed with screws or ordinary nails.
A rocking chair with your own hands is covered with a layer of stain, and then with several layers of a varnish suitable for the shade.
Work on the rocking chair can be made more convenient if you put a vinyl tube on the tool handles. To do this, it must first be held in acetone for about 15-20 minutes, so that the tube swells. After this treatment, it can easily be put on the handle and, as it dries, will tightly fit it.
Also, a do-it-yourself rocking chair is made using weaving. This is a more time-consuming process, but the result is worth it. In this case, you can not do without certain skills. To make such a chair, you will need sticks, plates, rods and ribbons. Please note that in the end you should get a particularly strong structure with additional fixation in the lower part. To make rest in the chair more comfortable, you can install a footboard in front.